Plant Performance

While we have taken positive steps to manage water responsibly in our operations, more remains to be done. Working with WWF, we developed and introduced an interactive water resource management toolkit that helps bottling plant managers understand precisely how much water they use in their operations and how their performance compares with other plants. The tool provides strategies and approaches that others have used to reduce the water footprint of their operations.

Because we know people are interested in our system's water use, we document it in publicly released reports that compare year-over-year measurements. Data are always verified by an external party before being released.

Overall, the Coca-Cola system has improved its water use efficiency by more than 20 percent since 2002. While our water use ratio has improved significantly over the six years we have reported it, we project that it may level off in the near future. Furthermore, changes in our product mix, namely the growth in coffee and tea products, may result in more water-intensive (though not less-efficient) operations. Total water use for the system also rose due to acquisitions of other beverage companies.

In 2007, 85 percent of our system's facilities met our wastewater standard. We continue to enhance effective wastewater treatment and conservation processes to achieve compliance with our own strict standards, which often exceed applicable laws. Our goal remains 100 percent compliance by the end of 2010.

Wastewater Effluent
Although we reduce our water use and recycle where possible, wastewater is an unavoidable by-product of manufacturing. We aim to return this water back to the environment, treated to a level that can support aquatic life. Our Company standard requires that wastewater is appropriately treated in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and, where municipal or other external treatment facilities do not exist or do not fully treat wastewater, manufacturing operations must construct on-site treatment systems that conform to stringent Company standards.

In 2006, 83 percent of our system's facilities met our wastewater standard. We continue to enhance effective wastewater treatment and conservation processes to achieve compliance with our own strict standards, which often exceed applicable laws. Our goal remains 100 percent compliance by the end of 2010.

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